VICTORIA: The BC division of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) today called for local voters to be given municipal referendum rights if the provincial government intends to give cities new taxing powers.

"Taxpayers in B.C. shouldn't have their provincial tax cuts taken back by cities unless voters specifically approve such measures in local referendums," said CTF-BC director Mark Milke. "If municipal, provincial, and federal governments want to rearrange how they collect and levy taxes - fine, but any new taxes should first be approved by voters."

Milke noted that Premier Gordon Campbell, when in opposition, argued this very point about the then proposed TransLink auto tax in greater Vancouver:

"If TransLink wants to ensure real accountability, it should allow residents who will have to pay this new tax to vote on it directly." - Gordon Campbell, Liberal news release, October 13, 2000.

The CTF noted that:

Voters in Alberta cities have the right to initiate referendums by signing up 10% of the existing voter's list.

Some British Columbia communities, most notably Rossland, have given their citizens the power both to initiate a local referendum and to challenge a proposed or existing bylaw via the initiative process.

At the provincial level in British Columbia, voters have the right to initiate a referendum, though the provincial legislation is not particularly well crafted and has never been used successfully.

In a fall 2001 survey of CTF-BC supporters, 74% favoured a citizen-initiated referendum law for municipalities. Only 7% were opposed, while the rest expressed no preference.

"Giving cities more control over their affairs, and even changing the nature of taxation at the local level is a sensible idea," Milke stated. "But any new taxation measures should first be approved by voters."

In September 1999, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation released an analysis of the Rossland legislation on local referenda, and proposed province-wide legislation in Opening Up The Town Square - A Citizen's Initiative Bylaw for Municipal Taxpayers. Copies of the proposal and draft legislation were given to the NDP government and also to then Municipal Affairs critic Ted Nebbeling, now Minister of state for the Community Charter.